Up Cripple Creek

I had hoped to gambol with you today, readers, but you’ll have to go it alone. A torn Posterior Cruciate Ligament has left me — when mobile — hobbling, or — when immobile — with left leg elevated.

But isn’t the Internet wonderful? In the not so distant past, if I’d hurt myself in this way, I would have said, “Oh, the back of my knee really hurts!” Then I would have iced my knee, put my leg up on a stack of pillows and gulped ibuprofen. Now, thanks to the Web, I can say, “Oh, my posterior cruciate ligament is torn!” Then put ice on my knee, put my leg up on a stack of pillows and gulp ibuprofen.

The Internet also enables me to turn my misfortune into a learning moment for you. Gather ’round, readers, and I will tell you about ligaments.

This is a drawing which I did three or four years ago for that fine magazine dedicated to fit Americans: American Fitness. The article was about how to get in exercise while business travelling, but I have adapted the picture to illustrate this, my temporary disability. Carefully follow the arrows as they lead away from the legend “Posterior Cruciate Ligament”. You should end up at the back of the running man’s knee. Now, if you were to snip away the fabric of his suit trousers, make an H incision in the skin behind the knee and spread apart the flaps, you would see his left posterior cruciate ligament. That’s okay. It’s nothing to be ashamed of: we all have posterior cruciate ligaments behind each knee. They prevent our lower legs from wandering off.

All right, I see you are becoming restless. Enough education for one day. Run along and play. Mind you don’t hyperextend your knees! Go now. Shoo.